


breathing is easier with you

by willannanan



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Lance (Voltron) Has Anxiety, M/M, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:21:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29006739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/willannanan/pseuds/willannanan
Summary: Shaky gasps make their way past Lance’s lips as the boy trembles. Oh God, he’s going to die. A strangled whine leaves him.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 131





	breathing is easier with you

**Author's Note:**

> this is an au where everyone is on Earth. Lance and Keith are dating but they don't live together yet
> 
> check the tag for warnings, there's pretty in depth descriptions during a panic attack so please keep yourself safe if that's something that could be harmful to you! <3

Shaky gasps make their way past Lance's lips as the boy trembles. Oh God, he can't breathe properly, oh no. He leans back against the wall of his room, sliding to the floor. His chest heaves frantically as air stutters into his lungs, getting caught and burning in his throat at points. Oh God, he's going to die. A strangled whine leaves him.

He's not sure when his phone got in his hand or who he was calling but suddenly there's another voice in the room with him, filling up the empty space with something other than gasping breaths.

"Lance?"

It's Keith. Of course it's Keith. Lance would smile if he wasn't being crushed by the weight on his chest, a band tightening around his midsection.

"Lance? I need you to talk to me."

A strangled breath leaves Lance's lips, he can't breathe let alone talk. On the other end of the phone he can hear something shuffling and quiet muttering, the soft click of a door closing, before it gets quiet.

"What colour, Lance?"

Colour? Why was Keith asking about colours?

"You remember the colour system? What colour?"

Something tickles the back of Lance's mind. He's sure he knows what Keith is talking about but he can't _breathe_ , he's going to _die_. Oh God, he's going to die without telling Keith how much he loves him... He remembers Keith's eyes so pretty and purple and - oh man, he's going to miss them. He has to say something right now, he has to let Keith know.

"P-purple?" Lance manages to force past the sandpaper lining his throat and Keith sighs.

"Lance, babe, purple's not in the system. But okay. Why purple?"

"B-because-" Lance can't breathe, everything is spinning, he should tell Keith he loves him before he dies, come on, come on!- "Because purple's p-pretty and you're pretty and yeah..."

He can hear the slight smile in Keith's voice. "Okay."

Lance wheezes again, chest spasming, and Keith is immediately concerned.

"Lance, you're breathing too fast. I'm going to breathe really deep and I want you to copy me okay?"

What? Could Keith tell he was dying? Oh no. No, no, no. He can't go out like this, not with Keith on the other end of the line listening to him gasp pathetically. No, no, no, no-

Keith swears but Lance can barely hear it, everything sounds like it's underwater, muffled and distorted and fuzzy in a weird way. That's probably not good.

"Lance, I need you to listen to me, listen to my voice. You're okay."

 _No I'm not,_ Lance wanted to retort but all that made it past his mouth was a strangled breath again.

"Well, you're not okay. But you will be."

That's better.

But Lance still can't breathe, he's not sure he remembers how anymore. Soft wheezes are all he can manage, and fuck he really is dying isn't he? He has to say his last words now, has to tell Keith before he keels over and dies. What was he going to tell him though? "K-Keith-" but he can't manage to get any more past the sandpaper in his throat and instead just sits there gasping for air, the phone in his hand coming dangerously close to slipping out of his grasp.

"I'm here Lance, always. I'm coming over, okay? I won't be long."

Icy panic seizes Lance's chest and his breath hitches. His hand shakes but he manages to talk into the phone. " _No!_ No, Keith, don't hang up, please _don't_ -" He coughs, air trapped in his throat and his lungs, burning and hot, solid, too solid.

"I'm not going to." Keith's voice is calm, too calm, that's the voice he uses when things are wrong. He's trying his best but it's not enough, not enough, damn it- "I'm not going to Lance, but I need you to keep breathing for me okay?"

Lance is trying, he's trying so hard, but he _can't_. He has to tell Keith that he loves him before he dies, if only his stupid fucking voice would _work_.

"Kei-" he tries again but it's too much, all too much and suddenly he's heaving against nausea and his lungs are collapsing in on themselves and he's gonna fucking die.

"Shit," Keith mutters over the phone and Lance is immediately more on edge. Keith knows it too, knows he's going to die. "It's going to be okay Lance, I'm nearly there." Fuck, what if Keith is just telling him that so that he doesn't freak out more? Or is he mad at him? Oh, God, he's going to die with Keith being mad at him.

"Keith," he manages to whisper out, "I don't wanna die, Keith, fuck."

"What? No, you're not going to die Lance, you're just panicking, but you'll be fine."

"I can't- Keith I can't go out like this, I-"

Keith curses again and Lance's lungs collapse a little more. Something rattles - keys maybe? - and Keith speaks again. "I'm right outside, just hang on."

He really, really doesn't want to die. Not like this. Not crumpled against his bedroom wall wearing one of Keith's oversized hoodies. Well, that last part wasn't so bad.

Lance feels the phone fall out of his hand but he doesn't bother to grab it, instead leaning his head back against the wall and gasping like a fish out of water. Keith was coming and he'd said Lance would be fine, but how could he be sure? What if this was it?

He really can't breathe.

Maybe Keith had lied. Maybe he really was going to die and Keith just didn't want him to panic over it and oh fuck, his chest is burning, there's no air-

"Lance."

The voice is comforting, familiar. Warm like the sun and golden like honey.

Lance looks up through a blurry sheen of tears. He can make out Keith's purple eyes but that's about it, the rest of his face is a blurry blob. The weight on his chest eases a little and he lets out a shaky breath.

"Hey, I'm here." Keith crouches in front of Lance. "Can I touch you?"

Lance nods with a small wheeze, craving the contact.

A smooth hand cups his cheek and he leans into it, a small sob forcing its way out of his throat. Keith's eyes soften.

"Hey, don't do that," he whispers, running a thumb under Lance's eyes to catch the tears. "Come on, you're okay."

Lance wishes this was some magical movie where the sudden presence of his lover could make everything okay again but it isn't and his chest still feels like it's being constricted by a heavy metal band. If anything, the tears in his eyes make everything crumble more, or at least quicker.

He gags from the lack of air, dizzy, his stomach flipping over and over and over and over and over-

Suddenly Keith's other hand is around his wrist and he's pressing gently. "Lance," he whispers, guiding the hand to his chest, "can you feel my heart? And my chest as I breathe? Do you think you can match that?"

Lance shrugs, nodding as best as he can. The chest beneath his palm is solid, grounding. He can at least try, for Keith.

He does try. And he's bad at it. But it's like Keith is expecting that, being surprisingly soft and patient. Even with Lance struggling for breath, Keith is still trying to be calm and sweet and Lance can't help but think about how much he loves him.

"That's it Lance." Keith brushes Lance's hair back from his forehead before cupping his cheek again. "You're doing so good."

That's enough. That's more than enough.

After what feels like an eternity Lance stops sputtering and the band around his lungs loosens. It takes a long time but with Keith there quietly talking to him, breathing steadily and just being there, it's easier. Not easy, it's never easy, but it is easier and that's all Lance can ask for.

"Do you think you can give me a colour now?" Keith asks again.

Right, the colour system. Green, yellow, orange, red. Colours to tell Keith how he's feeling when he doesn't have the words.

"R-red," Lance whispers, throat raw. Everything feels red, so very red. And not the good red, the red of Keith's cropped jacket, but the bad kind of red, the red that meant everything was bad and wrong.

"Okay. That's okay. You're okay. See? You're breathing better now."

Huh. He is. Lance's lips curl into a weak smile and Keith smiles back, squeezing Lance's wrist softly. He leans forward and presses a kiss to Lance's temple, and then another one to his forehead, before finally pressing a soft kiss to his nose. Lance giggles and it's weak and sounds a little hoarse but it's better than nothing.

"You alright?"

Lance hums, trying to clear the sandpaper from his throat, and nods. Keith smiles again, Lance would do anything for that smile, before gently tugging Lance into a hug. His arms are so secure that Lance could cry but instead he buries his head in the crook of Keith's neck.

"Colour?"

"Orange." His voice is muffled against Keith's neck. Fingers begin to run through his hair, gently working through any knots. They stay like that for a while, tangled together on the floor. Lance, didn't have to tell Keith his final words, he could breathe now, he remembered the colour system. Everything was going to be okay.

"You scared me," Keith murmurs, pressing a kiss to Lance's hair. "I thought something really bad had happened."

"'m sorry."

"No, it's okay. I'm glad you called." Keith's voice is soft, honest in only the way Lance gets to hear. "Do you know what caused it?"

Lance shakes his head against Keith's shoulder and the other boy hums.

"That's okay. Colour?"

Lance takes a minute to think. "Yellow."

Yellow is good, it's close to green and when they reach green they can both relax. Lance doesn't really like green, not in the same way he likes blue or red – Keith red – but that's okay. Lance sighs and presses his face against Keith, the other boy starting to run a hand up and down his back, fingers kneading tense muscles. Lance breathes.

Everything is okay.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for checking this out! make sure you drink some water and look after yourself lovelies!


End file.
